


Louder Than Words

by maialec



Category: Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Because I Couldn't Resist, Downworlder leaders being awesome, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-30
Updated: 2016-08-30
Packaged: 2018-08-12 01:15:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7914691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maialec/pseuds/maialec
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time one of them says the three little words is unlike what either had expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Louder Than Words

**Author's Note:**

> The timeline of this is at least 4 seasons into the show (if we get that many), because I want months of them showing they love each other countless times before they actually say it. Also, because this is placed so far into the show time frame, Luke and Raphael finally get along and are buddies (mainly because of Magnus' powers of persuasion), okay? Okay.  
> I don't own any of the characters, so credits to whoever does (is it Cassandra Clare? we shall never know lmao).

Alec sipped his black coffee, the closest thing to the nectar of gods he could imagine, and sighed in contentment as he felt the hot concoction travel down his throat and seep into his muscles, jumpstarting every one of his senses. There was nothing quite like a fresh cup of coffee in the morning that did wonders not even his stamina rune could, working more like a magical potion than anything. Speaking of that, a certain magical being was sitting opposite him at the table, eating the last of his pancakes and checking the emails on his phone. Even after all these months of living together, Alec still couldn't get enough of quiet moments like this one. Where the only sounds were the clattering of silverware against plates, the slurping of coffee and the distant hum of the city outside the windows. Where they could sit and just exist next to each other, before they had to face the world and their responsibilities. And that he was dreading. He knew he should've probably left for the Institute ten minutes ago, but he couldn't move. Everything was so peaceful, so still, just the thought of having to walk all the way there amongst honking cars and crowds of people, glamoured or not, was giving him a headache. Reluctantly, he downed his cup, got up and put his dishes in the sink.

'I have to go,' he announced as he approached Magnus who was still sitting at the table, frowning at whatever was written on his phone screen.

'Alright, I'll see you tonight,' he said, pecking Alec on the lips. 'Be safe, my dear.'

'You too,' Alec smiled and threw his boots and jacket on in a hurry, halfway out of the loft. 'See you later, love you.' And the door was shut.

Magnus took another sip of his coffee, Alec's words not having had the chance to register into his brain. When they eventually did, the hand holding the mug stopped mid-air on its way to the surface of the table. He directed his gaze at the door, expecting Alec to come back in and take it back, or stutter an apology or, ideally, say it again. But after a while of inactivity, he smiled to himself, a blush most definitely creeping up his face, as he started typing a text to Alec, whatever negative thoughts he'd had about a meeting he needed to attend later in the day already forgotten.

 

***

 

He was out of the building when he realised what he'd just said, but he was too late to do anything about it. And frankly, what would he do? It's true that he thought the first time he said those three words would be this big declaration during an emotional moment. But now that he reflected on it, saying 'I love you' was just a formality at this point. He'd known it for a while, he hoped Magnus had too, and God knows they've shown it time and time again; every time one of them got hurt and the other took care of them, every time they stood by each other during dire moments, fought together, and even in the quiet mornings like this one had been, when they can just sit in comfortable silence enjoying each other's presence. It was only natural that the first time one of them said it would be as easy as the hundredth time.

His phone buzzed in his pocket when he was at a traffic light and the text he received only confirmed his beliefs and made him beam like an idiot at the screen.

 

_From: Magnus_

_I know ❤_

 

***

 

He could see the maps and images moving on the screen and he could hear that Izzy was saying something, probably about the mission they were about to go on, but it was all white noise. He was still thinking back on the events of this morning and he was certain that he was staring into space, a smirk probably plastered on his face, when he distinctly heard his sister snap her fingers at him.

'Alec, are you listening to me?' she demanded in an exasperated tone of voice.

'What? Uh, yeah, I am, sorry,' he shook his head and tried to look like he'd been paying attention.

'Of course you are. What did I say?' she crossed her arms waiting for an answer, but most likely not expecting a coherent one to come out of her brother's mouth.

'Um,' he started, and he could probably come up with something on the spot, but there was no way Izzy would buy it, so he settled on honesty. 'You're right, I wasn't listening, what were you saying?' He felt a little guilty, but the dopey smile on his face was not doing anything to show it. Izzy sighed and rolled her eyes.

'Long story short: Shax demons in Fort Greene, we're heading out in ten minutes, Clary and Jace are out back getting their weapons and you should too. Any questions?' She raised an eyebrow at him.

'No, all good.'

'Great. Then I have one,' she began as she sat up on the table, one of her legs dangling off the side. 'What's going on with you?'

'What do you mean?' he asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible, and failing.

'You were late today, your mind is definitely drifting off somewhere far away and you have that grin on your face,' she finished, pointing at him, less annoyed and more amused. 'So, got anything you'd like to share?'

'Not really,' he avoided her gaze and, when he looked back up at her, it was obvious that she didn't believe him and was still expecting an explanation.

'I just accidentally told Magnus that I love him, that's all.'

Izzy was visibly taken aback by his casual tone, but didn't move from her spot.

'What do you mean 'that's all'? And what do you mean 'accidentally'?' she demanded, still not satisfied with her brother's answer. Alec just shrugged.

'Don't get me wrong, I meant it, but it wasn't a big deal. I just said it when I headed out the door as if I'd said it a million times before and it didn't even register until I was well on my way here,' he chuckled carelessly, going back to staring off into the distance. Izzy was getting more and more frustrated by the second.

'And what did he say?'

'Well, he didn't really have the chance to say anything, as I've already told you. He just texted me saying that he knows.'

'And do you?' she inquired, searching for his gaze.

'Yeah,' he responded, finally looking back up at her, and when he spoke again, unabashed happiness was written all over his features. 'Yeah, I do.'

Izzy was looking at him, head tilted with a fond expression on her face, and was about to say something when Clary and Jace came up behind her, weapons in tow.

'All set?' Jace asked, handing Izzy a seraph blade.

'I'll go grab my stuff as well and we can go,' Alec said as he got up from the table and patted Jace on his shoulder.

 

***

 

When he read the email summoning every Downworlder leader for a meeting that morning, Magnus was less than happy he had to postpone his plans for the day, but looked forward to meeting with Luke and Raphael. As High Warlock of Brooklyn he had responsibilities he couldn't avoid, especially when they entailed the problem of rogue vampires killing mundanes and turning them in order to attack and overthrow the New York clan. An idiotic strategy in his opinion considering it was shamelessly breaking the Accords and wasn't going to last for long with the recent but hopefully strong alliance between the Downworld species. And besides all of this, he was still thinking about what Alec had said earlier that day, mentally scolding himself that he was acting like a teenage girl whose boyfriend just said 'I love you' for the first time. It wasn't like he hadn't been aware of Alec's feelings, after everything they'd gone through. He was just taken by surprise at how natural it felt to hear him say it, so natural he didn't even notice it right away, proving that those three words were just verbal confirmation of something that had been confirmed through countless actions long ago.

After Raphael had lead the meeting, giving a perfect speech on the importance of their alliance, initiating and listening to strategies and suggestions, everybody gathered around the main hall for casual discussions and small talk over drinks. However tempting, Magnus decided to leave the drinking to the others in favour of congratulating his friend on remaining diplomatic even with all the stress he had been dealing with for the past weeks. He knew Raphael was prone to losing his courteousness when people undermined his authority or questioned his motives, and there were a few such comments from conceited warlocks and seelies during his discourse, but he handled them with professionalism and tactful remarks at their lack of expertise when it came to vampire business. Therefore, Magnus and Luke stayed behind while the other leaders left the conference room.

'That was quite the speech you gave back there, my friend,' Magnus enthused, approaching the end of the table where Raphael was putting away his papers.

'I'm pleasantly surprised you were so polite to those ignorant comments,' Luke followed, leaning on the edge of the wooden surface.

'Thank you, did you two take any notes?' Raphael said, trying to look smug, but they could both see through his façade and could tell that all of the pressure was getting to him.

'I know this must be hard, coming so soon after the whole Camille situation was solved, but we're here for you and we'll do our best to stop them,' Luke reassured him, squeezing his arm gently and searching for his eyes. He knew Raphael's stance on physical contact, but fortunately he didn't flinch this time.

'I appreciate it,' he responded, looking them both in the eyes and sounding genuine, his usual snark gone, which earned a beam from Magnus.

'What's with you? Meetings usually make you miserable not cheerful,' and with that, Raphael was back to being himself.

'Can't I be supportive of my friend? Besides, meetings are so much easier to sit through when you actually like the person holding them,' Magnus winked.

'I'm touched,' he stated, sarcasm evident in his tone.

'He's lying, he's been like this all the way here,' Luke side eyed Magnus with a conspiratorial smile.

'Do I want to know?' Raphael sighed.

'I'm pretty sure you're too emotionally constipated for that,' Magnus supplied, getting an eye roll in response.

'And that is why I'm gonna need a drink,' Raphael announced, looking reluctantly at the door. 'Too bad I have to go out there to get one.'

'I can sneak some in,' Magnus offered, raising two fingers. 'I think we've all had enough diplomatic interaction for one day. They're not even gonna notice it.'

'I agree. You might be required to keep your cool around those people,' Luke addressed Raphael, 'but I can't promise I won't tell them a piece of my mind if they cross you again.'

'What would I do without you two?' Raphael smirked, trying to sound snide, but failing to hide his honest gratitude.

'You'd die of thirst,' Magnus answered and, with a snap of his fingers, a tray of various bottles of alcohol and three glasses materialised on the table in front of them. He poured himself a glass and waited for the others to do the same before he raised his own. 'To Downworlder leaders,' he toasted.

'And proving people wrong,' Luke continued, eyeing Raphael with a supportive smile.

'¡Salud!', the latter joined, downing his drink and pouring another one.

They ended up staying in the conference room after the other attendants were long gone, chatting and laughing, tipsy enough to pretend nothing was wrong and ignore the impending danger coming their way. In their company, Magnus felt grateful to be surrounded by friends who understood and shared his struggles, while making lighthearted comments about them at the same time, if only as a coping mechanism for the peril looming over their heads.

 

***

 

When Magnus pushed the door to the loft open, he was overcome by warmth and the smell of something cooking in the kitchen that he guessed could only be Alec's favourite steak recipe. He momentarily forgot about his aching muscles and the desire to flop into the nearest soft surface as he took off his shoes and entered the living room. The engulfing scent of spices and the sizzling of the frying pan reminded him how it had been a few good hours since he'd had anything to eat and, as he inhaled the surrounding air, the warmth coming from the adjacent room travelled all the way to his heart.

'Something smells really good,' he hummed as he sneaked up behind Alec.

'You're right on time,' Alec said and turned his head to press a soft kiss to Magnus's lips.

'Hi,' he whispered when they pulled apart, a content sigh escaping his mouth.

'How was your day?' Magnus asked, grabbing plates from the cupboard.

'Hunting demons went better than usual, thanks for asking,' he laughed, turning off the stove. 'And you?'

'Had a meeting. You know, about the rogue vampires. I actually enjoyed myself, believe it or not,' Magnus called from  
the dining room as he set out the table.

'Did you now?' Alec raised an eyebrow at him and brought out the food.

After they finished eating and after Magnus changed into more comfortable clothes, he finally flopped down next to Alec who was already curled up on the sofa watching TV. As he lay his head on Alec's shoulder, Magnus remembered something and looked up at him expectantly. As if on cue, Alec turned to him and gazed into his eyes before Magnus was leaning in and their lips were touching, a slow and lingering kiss, like they had all the time in the world.

'I love you,' Magnus beamed when he pulled away and the smile he got from Alec in response was enough to make him want to kiss it right off his face.

'I know,' Alec whispered, still smiling from ear to ear and he captured their lips again with more fervour and purpose than before.

This one lasted long enough for them to be breathless at the end. It was heated and gentle all at once, full of all the love they were both aware of, now more than ever.

After that, they used it in place of 'Good morning' and 'Goodbye' and 'See you later' and 'Good night', saying it as often as they could, because they could, and knowing it would never lose its meaning, not as long as they kept showing it, from small gestures of affection to saving each other's lives more often than considered normal. At the end of the day, they were still of the belief that actions spoke louder than words.

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a short Malec drabble and it turned into an excuse to write my favourite brotps. Thank you for reading! Comments and constructive criticism are more than welcome! You can also find me on [tumblr](http://maialec.tumblr.com/) <3


End file.
